12TH YEAR OF LEADING VOLUNTEER TEAMS TO ARMENIA: Leo Manuelian’s Global Builders’ Volunteer Team in Armenia with a Humanitarian Mission

It was back in 2003, when Leo Manuelian, now a veteran volunteer team leader, has came to Armenia leading a Global Builders volunteer team to help an Armenian family in need of decent housing. Later his wife, Sona Manuelian, joined him as a co-leader. Since then Leo Manuelian has led 12 volunteer teams (out of which 8 years with his wife Sona Manuelian as a co-leader) with the mission of diminishing poverty housing in Armenia, 12 years of dedicated and selfless service to help the dream of families in need of decent housing come true.

During all these years 141 volunteer members joined Leo Manuelian’s team and came to Armenia, some of them several times, to help more and more families to sooner finish the construction of their dream homes.

”This is my thirteenth trip; twelfth as a team leader. I cannot think of a better and more Christian way, to help my Armenian brothers and sisters in the homeland. The fountainhead of our nation is in our homeland… Unless we find a surefire method of keeping Armenians in Armenia, we will lose our homeland. The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is the only program that has a 100% success rate in stemming immigration. Once a Fuller family builds a decent, affordable home, their standard of living, physical health, mental health, and economic situation improves. Their hope and faith in country and future solidifies…” shared Leo Manuelian.

In 2017, during the period of June 26 – July 7, Leo Manuelian’s team of 17 volunteers joined the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia mission to build a house for Khangelyan family, living in Nor Kharberd village, Ararat region.
The Khangeldyan family of five has been living in an 12sq.m soil hut with only one small bedroom with two beds for parents and three children, without a bathroom, a kitchen, running water… Before moving to the soil hut Lernik and Hripsime, had been living in Lernik’s parents house with Lernik’s parents and brother’s family, 11 people in a-three-room house. Three years ago, the family started the construction of their new house but could not finish due to lack of financial means…

The Global Builders volunteer team, led by Leo Manuelian did tremendous work helping the family to sooner construct their long cherished home.